Race Report: Pflugerville Tri - Breakthrough Swim

Marathon training is in base building mode, so what better way to follow up a 14-miler than to race a sprint tri the following morning.

When I considered which triathlons to do this summer, Pflugerville had a lot to like about it. Smallish race, new (to me) course, and reasonable entry fee. Knowing it was on the calendar was good motivation to swim a lap or two at Barton Springs every now and then. Same for starting a twice a week bike commute schedule during bike month. So, my preparation/training for this race was lots of easy pace running, 3-4 stride sets per week, a couple of short post-run swims per week, and biking to work a couple times a week. I had no goal time or expectations for the race other than to maintain hard effort throughout the race (whatever that might feel like after a 14-miler), and enjoy the return to multisport.

I figured the course would be pretty windy. We've had lots of wind out of the south lately, and there's not a lot of development or trees near the race site. I didn't account for the effect of the wind on the swim course. Swimming is the segment of triathlon where I have the most "opportunity for improvement". Standing on the shore of the lake, I got really nervous seeing how choppy the water was. Getting bumped and jostled by other swimmers, or getting splashed in the face when trying to breathe cause little anxiety spikes for me. Tension makes for inefficient swimming, which would only be compounded by the rough water. Things were not looking good to me. It didn't help to see one of the women from the previous wave turn around and swim back to the start. Standing there, waiting to start, I told myself just swim buoy to buoy, once you get to the red one (halfway) the hard part is over. For the second half of the swim, we'd be headed back to shore, with the waves. By that time, I wasn't particularly nervous, more resolved that the swim was going to be tough, but slow and steady, I'd get through it.

The horn sounded for our start, I hesitated for a moment, started my watch, then started swimming. To my utter surprise, I quickly fell into a rhythm, and was more relaxed than I'd ever felt on a swim, regardless of conditions. I found myself riding along with the waves, breathing in sync with the motion of the water, hardly getting splashed in the face at all. I seemed to maintain pretty good body position without much thought or effort. Before I knew it, I was past the second buoy and headed for the halfway point. Rolling with the conditions and not fighting was making it easier somehow. Granted, I was still working, and my arms were getting tired by the halfway point, but I was feeling really good about my progress and my mental state. The second half of the swim actually felt harder than the first. Fatigue was starting to set in, but my pace seemed to slow despite the calmer water and swimming with the wind. I went a little wide on the return, reset my course, and exited the water really happy about how I'd managed a difficult swim.

The bike course felt long and was very windy. Tailwind and downhill to start, then stiff crosswind/headwind/crosswind/headwind combinations with long slow uphills, rollers and a few glorious sections with tailwind. I don't ride with a computer, so went purely on effort, and maintained whatever gear/cadence necessary to keep my breathing at a comfortably hard level. Here's where I started feeling yesterday's 14-miler. My legs were the limiter on the bike, which probably served to keep some cardio in reserve for the run. I took a gel and some Nuun in the first mile, then chose not to take another gel. Any race is as much a mental test as a physical one, but today's conditions were the kind that make it easier to / harder not to get caught up in head games about how tough it is. When the going gets tough, just keep going. This was the toughest part of the day for me. I just didn't have any power in my legs and the course reminded me too much of my bike commute. Long, slow, windy uphills that should have felt easier since I wasn't carrying a backpack. Perhaps on fresh legs it would've been different.

It took almost a mile for me to settle into my breathing on the run. I'd forgotten what it felt like to transition to the run after the bike. Shuffle-jog into the headwind, head down so as not to lose that hard-won Rogue Trail Series hat. By the time I get to the far side of the lake, I'm in my stride. My lungs feel like the limiter by now. We've got a good headwind for parts of the run. I put my head down and let the wind blow through me. I think I'm picking up the pace as I go, but can't tell for sure. I definitely pick it up for the last 150 or so yards to the finish. Start easy, finish strong. Glad to be done. Race results not in yet, but I don't really care about my time after how great the swim felt.

Highlights/Observations
Seeing Pyrofly - fellow '09 AT Hiker: thanks for the body marking, hope to see you out racing soon!
The first half of the swim
Mile 8 of the bike - An old windmill in the field to the left: hearing it's fleeting squeak as it slowly turned in the wind, like a cry from the past.
Hanging out with racing buddies Devon, Krista, & Ken
Robin & Gracie coming out to cheer me on